Times are strange right now. When the best advice those in charge can give is to sit at home and wash your hands, it’s no wonder we all feel so vulnerable.

It’s times like these though when people either bury their heads in the sand or rise up and turn bad situations into unbelievable opportunities.

I’ve never done this before but I want to share something very personal in the hopes that it might help you get through these tough times. Until recently, I’ve been too ashamed to bring it up as it carries a bit of a stigma, but here goes.

When I was 10 years old, I was suddenly thrown into the foster care system. I was bounced around from home to home until I eventually landed in a group home. When I was just 16, I was sent out to live on my own and fend for myself.

Those were very lonely and extremely uncertain times but I had to quickly adapt to my ever-changing surroundings and learn how to look out for myself. If I hadn’t have done so, there’s no doubt that I would’ve become a victim.

There were many challenges along the way but I managed to rise above, put myself through university, meet my wonderful wife who I’ve been married to for 25 years, enjoy a successful real estate career, run my own business — all while raising two amazing kids!

I credit my childhood for my ability to get through tough times and make the most of bad situations. I’m here to tell you that you can not only survive uncertain times like these, but you can actually thrive! Here are a few things I’d like to share:

SOCIALIZE FROM A DISTANCE

When I was in foster care, I did my best to stay in contact with my family members as often as possible as it helped me stay mentally strong.

Social distancing is key right now but it’s still important to socialize from a distance so use video conferencing services such as ZOOM or Skype to keep in touch with your family, friends and clients.

This is also a great time to open up and build relationships with your subscribers so that they can slowly get to know and trust you. Just adding a few sentences to the intro section of your newsletter can make a huge difference!

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS

It would’ve been so easy for me to get lost in drugs and alcohol when I was growing up in order to escape the harsh reality of my situation but I knew that if I did, it would’ve been the end of me.

As tempting as it may be, now’s not the time to give in to unhealthy habits that will cloud your focus. It’s important, now more than ever, to remain mentally strong for you and your family and to fine-tune the future of your business.

For example, use this time to learn how to edit videos or create an ebook that offers valuable information such as a first-time buyers guide that you can give away in exchange for people’s email addresses.

KNOW THAT YOU’RE IN CONTROL

During my time in the foster care system, I was constantly let down by various different adults who were supposed to be looking out for me. I, therefore, had to learn how to rely on myself.

When I used to sell real estate, I considered myself an entrepreneur. Being in business for yourself can be scary, especially during times like these, but it’s comforting to know that you have complete control over your own destiny and that you don’t have to rely on others to come to your rescue.

HAVE HOPE AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE

It was always my hope that a nice family would come along and adopt me, or that I might be able to one day return to live with my Mom or another family member. Although this never happened, that hope kept me going.

It’s important in times like these that we don’t lose hope when it comes to our business. There will be better days ahead but in the meantime, use this opportunity to take care of things that you had previously put off such as building up your subscriber list.

DON’T DELAY

Whatever you do, don’t put a newsletter off because you don’t have any subscribers yet or because you have to “get your list together”. You’ll never be able to properly build a list if you don’t have anything to subscribe them to.

If you’re ready to supercharge your business with our fully customizable newsletter that comes with professionally pre-written real estate related content, now’s the perfect time as the first month is just $1!

Don’t let a newsletter be another one of those things you put off month after month, year after year. If you take action now, you can start building a strong list that’ll see you through the toughest of times. If you don’t, you’ll have nothing but regrets

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]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/how-to-survive-turbulent-times/feed/2The Pipedream of Perfectionhttps://realestatemachine.com/blog/the-pipedream-of-perfection/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/the-pipedream-of-perfection/#respondSun, 09 Feb 2020 07:44:11 +0000https://realestatemachine.com/?p=2902The Pipedream of Perfection Read More »]]>Winston Churchill once said, “perfectionism is the enemy of progress”. One of the biggest issues with striving for perfection is that we tend to procrastinate and never actually complete the task.

There’s no such thing as perfect. The key is to step forward with your best effort; otherwise, fear of failure and rejection will limit your progress and stop you from trying out new and exciting ideas

That’s what happened when I wanted to add a video feature to my newsletter. It kept getting put off because I didn’t have a green screen, a professional microphone, etc. I finally released my first video a few months ago and although it won’t win any awards, it’s a foundation that I can now build off of.

If you’re trying to accomplish a goal but it’s taking way too long, it’s probably because you’re afraid it won’t be perfect and you’ll end up looking like a fool. That’s the real reason why I kept putting my videos off but in the end, I realized it’s better to make a start instead of cowering in fear with nothing to show.

The key to achieving success is the ability to take action. With the New Year in sight, make it a goal to put progress over perfection. If one of your goals, for instance, is to increase your presence on social media, then stop waiting for the perfect post idea and just get something out there!

You know you’ve got what it takes to make 2019 your best year ever but you’ll just end up holding yourself back unless you’re willing to step outside of your comfort zone and make mistakes. If, on the other hand, you strive for progress rather than perfection, your productivity and success will soar!

]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/the-pipedream-of-perfection/feed/0Top 10 Ways to KILL it on LinkedIn!https://realestatemachine.com/blog/top-10-ways-to-kill-it-on-linkedin/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/top-10-ways-to-kill-it-on-linkedin/#respondSun, 09 Feb 2020 07:25:34 +0000https://realestatemachine.com/?p=2890Top 10 Ways to KILL it on LinkedIn! Read More »]]>Social media is a crucial element for real estate agents. If you don’t take advantage of it, you’ll be missing out on countless deals every year—deals that will go to Susan or Jerry from the office down the road

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are important from a social standpoint, but LinkedIn can be a great source of quality leads as it caters to a much more professional audience.

Your LinkedIn profile will be one of the first results that come up when people search for you online, so it’s important to present yourself as a professional. Here are a few tips to help bring your LinkedIn page to life:

PICTURE PERFECTWhether we like it or not, we live in a world where we’re instantly judged so it’s critical to represent yourself with a professional photo. No selfies or mugshots need apply!

BACKDROPCreate a custom cover graphic for your page. Try to use something that’s locally relevant and then add your logo and a few contact details on top.

PUT YOURSELF OUT THEREFill out your profile details including volunteer work, educational background and any special skills or designations you have. While you’re at it, upload a video.

KEYWORDS ARE KEYUse keywords such as “your city real estate” in your profile and especially in your headline as they’ll help you rank higher on the search engines.

CUSTOM URLThere’s a spot in your profile section where you can create a custom URL. Try to use your name if it’s available or something else that represents your brand.

PUBLISH AN ARTICLELinkedIn makes it easy to publish your very own articles just as you would on a blog which you can then turn around and post on other social media platforms!

BE ACTIVEMake sure you check in each day to view your notifications. It’s also important to occasionally like or comment on posts. When you request to connect with someone, take a second to personalize your invitation.

RECOMMENDATIONSPeople love hearing how awesome they are, so take a bit of time each month to send out recommendations. Chances are, they’ll write you one back and if they don’t, someone else will. The more you give, the more you’ll get!

COMPELLING CONTENTIt’s important to regularly post content such as local market stats or upcoming community events. Just don’t share stuff like what you had for dinner last night as no one really cares about that on LinkedIn.

REGROUPJoin a few groups that are real estate related or better yet, create your own group! You could have one for referrals and another one for local professionals. This is where networking can really take off!

LinkedIn may not be as sexy as Facebook or Instagram but when it comes to networking, it’s an absolute goldmine! The key is to use it on a daily basis and if you do, you’ll start to see results that will quickly grow and hopefully change the way you do business. Good luck!

]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/top-10-ways-to-kill-it-on-linkedin/feed/0Do you OWN or RENT your list?https://realestatemachine.com/blog/do-you-rent-or-own-your-contact-list/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/do-you-rent-or-own-your-contact-list/#respondSun, 09 Feb 2020 07:07:05 +0000https://realestatemachine.com/?p=2872Do you OWN or RENT your list? Read More »]]>Facebook was in the headlines in the early part of 2019 when their service suddenly went down for an entire day. No concrete explanation was really given other than technical difficulties. It kind of makes you wonder.

Then, a few days later, it was revealed that Facebook failed to properly secure hundreds of millions of user passwords which were accessible to thousands of employees, and who knows who else!

On top of that, it was just recently announced that you’re no longer able to target real estate related ads based on age, gender or location, which is a major blow that has sent agents scrambling!

There once was a time when all you had to do was create a business page, post great content and watch the leads roll in and with that, Facebook had you hooked! But then, without any notice, they virtually ignored organic posts forcing businesses to pay for ads in order to get their fix.

You’re just not in control when it comes to Facebook. They can even shut your account down without any notice or explanation. I’ve seen this happen first hand. Or they could be hacked and your contacts could vanish overnight. Why would you want to put all of your faith and trust in a company such as Facebook?

Don’t get me wrong. Facebook is a great way to promote your business, but building your audience can be a real challenge. It’s so much more natural to ask someone if they’d like to subscribe to your newsletter than it is to ask someone to “Like” you on Facebook.

Despite the rise of social media, email marketing remains king! Newsletters are a great way to build relationships as they’re much more personal and also because your audience is much more focused when they check their email, unlike the mindless scrolling that happens on Facebook.

Research shows email is 40x times more effective at acquiring new customers than social media and for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you’ll receive $44 back in return. What a tremendous investment! If you’ve been thinking about getting a newsletter, now’s a great time as we’re currently waiving our $50 setup fee. Don’t put it off any longer. Take control of your future, and your list!

]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/do-you-rent-or-own-your-contact-list/feed/0Turn Dead Leads Into Dealshttps://realestatemachine.com/blog/turn-dead-leads-into-deals/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/turn-dead-leads-into-deals/#respondSun, 09 Feb 2020 06:52:01 +0000https://realestatemachine.com/?p=2837Turn Dead Leads Into Deals Read More »]]>Continuously following up with prospects can be exhausting. You know you shouldn’t give up on them because they have the potential to eventually turn into a $13,645 commission but,more often than not, they’re put on the back burner and forgotten about.

It’s important to consistently follow-up with prospects who aren’t ready to act right away. You need to have the patience to nurse them to maturity; otherwise, when they’re finally ready to act, they’ll end up “doing the deed” (pardon the pun) with someone else.

When I was an agent, I subscribed everyone I could to my newsletter. That way, if they ever went cold, I’d automatically still be in touch each month. When they were finally ready, months or even years later, they’d reply with a personal message thanking me for not giving up on them.

Oftentimes, I usually had no clue who they were but one thing was for sure; if I hadn’t taken a few seconds to subscribe them to my monthly newsletter, they likely would’ve bought from that pesky, no good agent from down the road, and I’d be out $17,645

Follow-up is everything but sadly, it’s often overlooked. That said, there’s nothing easier than typing someone’s name and email address into your system and then sitting back and waiting for them to mature, yet most agents fail to take this incredibly easy step.

Prospects are out there every day waving their hands in the air with thousands of dollars in them saying “pick me, pick me”. Ignoring them just doesn’t make any sense but, as crazy as it seems, that’s what most agents do as they’re either short-sighted or just plain lazy. Someone’s gonna eventually sell them a home — it may as well be you!

The trick to flourishing in real estate is to invest in your business and, most importantly, think long-term! It’s easy to be successful when the market’s strong but most agents starve when times turn tough because they took things for granted and didn’t properly prepare. A strong, ever-growing list of subscribers will ensure your success in even the darkest of days.

We’ve been providing real estate agents with newsletterssince 2003. The process is effortless as they come ready to go with amazing content but if you like, you can add your own content as well. We even take care of delivery!

If you plan on being in business a year from now, you need to get a newsletter today! Now’s the perfect time as we’re currently waiving the $50 set-up fee and throwing in your2nd month for free!

Don’t let this be another thing you put off. If you take charge today, I promise you that your real estate career will quickly transform into the successful business you’ve always dreamed of!

]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/turn-dead-leads-into-deals/feed/0A Member of the High Commissionhttps://realestatemachine.com/blog/a-member-of-the-high-commission/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/a-member-of-the-high-commission/#respondSun, 09 Feb 2020 06:38:55 +0000https://realestatemachine.com/?p=2821A Member of the High Commission Read More »]]>Your commission rate isn’t just about money; it’s about pride and self-respect. Our previous Cutting Commission Cutters Down to Size article discredited discount brokers by turning their own actions against them.

The strategy involved scenarios where discount brokers had sold their own personal properties at full selling broker commissions. It worked so well that I decided to use the same strategy in other situations.

There was an expired listing in a hard to sell location that had been on the market for years with various different agents. The seller didn’t want to continuously reduce the price so I suggested that we instead list at the same price but offer a higher than normal commission.

Needless to say, she wasn’t too keen on the idea so I pushed further. I asked her, “People are motivated by money, right?” to which she agreed. I then continued, “If we offer more money to the agents, they’ll be more motivated to show and sell it, right?”

She was still reluctant so I showed her some other listings that had previously expired but then sold later on once the commission rate was increased. Once she saw the proof, she agreed to list for 7% which was unheard of in my area!

After a flurry of activity, her home sold for well over the asking price! I then put together a folder that showed the failed sales history of the property when it had been listed with other agents at standard commission rates. At the back of the folder, I showed the 7% listing next to a sold sign. I even had a testimonial from the seller attributing the sale to the 7% commission!

It’s natural for people to want to know “what’s in it for me” so don’t tell just them that you deserve a high commission for this reason or that. It’ll all sound like a bunch of empty promises but if you can prove that a high commission is in their best interest, you’ll be on your way to a sale instead of on your way out the door.

]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/a-member-of-the-high-commission/feed/0The Language of Lyinghttps://realestatemachine.com/blog/the-language-of-lying/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/the-language-of-lying/#respondSun, 09 Feb 2020 04:22:15 +0000https://realestatemachine.com/?p=2779The Language of Lying Read More »]]>One of the most effective ways to determine whether or not someone’s lying is to examine their body language and speech patterns. Here are a few tips that’ll help turn you into a human lie detector machine:

TICK TOCKDeceptive answers usually take longer to formulate than truthful ones.

UM, ERRLiars often mispronounce words, stutter or sniff due to nervous tension.

COVER UPCovering the mouth and rubbing the nose and eyes can indicate untruthfulness.

PIVOTINGLiars welcome a change in conversation resulting in their body language becoming more relaxed.

FADE AWAYTheir body will start to scrunch up as if they’re trying to fade away and any movement will be stiff and limited.

PICKPOCKETShowing palms is a sign of honesty so people who are fibbing will often put their hands in their pockets and fidget.

Detecting deceit isn’t always easy as some people are better liars than others. Asking questions can help determine whether or not someone’s lying as it’s difficult to fabricate specific details on the spot. A single tell may mean nothing but when combined together, chances are they’re hiding something.

]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/the-language-of-lying/feed/0No News is Good Newshttps://realestatemachine.com/blog/no-news-is-good-news/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/no-news-is-good-news/#respondSun, 09 Feb 2020 03:39:35 +0000https://realestatemachine.com/?p=2757No News is Good News Read More »]]>A client contacted me the other day to cancel his newsletter He felt it was a waste of time because he never really heard back from anyone.

The reality is though that people rarely reply to newsletters. I never reply to any of the newsletters I receive but I remember the person sending them and when I’m ready to act, they’ll be the first person I contact.

The same thing goes for this newsletter. I hardly ever receive a reply but I know it works as I consistently watch long-term subscribers turn into clients. Without the newsletter, I’d have definitely lost touch and also lost the sale.

I urged my valued client to reconsider as it’s so incredibly important to consistently keep in touch with your contacts each month but there was no swaying him.

He had nearly 300 subscribers that he was now going to turn his back on but what’s worse is that without a newsletter, it’d be impossible for him to continue building his list as he’d have nothing to subscribe them to.

They say that “the money’s in the list” and on average, each active subscriber is worth around $1 a month. With an average open rate of 25%, he would be making around $75 a month from his list!

Instead of cancelling our service to save $37 a month, he’ll actually be losing $38 a month. If you want to more accurately try to figure out how much each one of your subscribers is worth, check out the email subscriber value calculator.

The moral of the story is, don’t get discouraged if you never hear back from your subscribers. Just know that they’re constantly aware of you and that when the time finally comes for them to buy or sell, you’ll be the first person they turn to.

If you already use our newsletter service, consider customizing every once in a while with your own content to give it a bit of extra personality. If you don’t use our newsletter, now’s the perfect time to get started as there’s no setup fee and the first month is just $1.

]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/no-news-is-good-news/feed/0Good Grammar is Keyhttps://realestatemachine.com/blog/good-grammar-is-key/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/good-grammar-is-key/#respondTue, 18 Dec 2018 21:43:41 +0000https://realestatemachine.com/?p=1834Good Grammar is Key Read More »]]>There’s nothing more embarrassing than emailing a client or prospect and realizing you’ve made a careless spelling or grammatical error in your email. People are more likely to email or message you than they are to pick up a phone so your grammar has to be up to par. Here are a few common errors to be aware of:

It’s vs. Its – “It’s” is the contraction of “it is” (ie. “It’s such a nice day”). “Its” is the possessive form of it (ie. “Everything in its place”).

Affect and Effect – Affect is a verb: it acts upon something, someone, or an emotion, while “effect” is a noun. The words sound almost identical in conversation, but it’s important to get them right in print!

It’s easy to make these kinds of simple mistakes given the hectic pace of our busy lifestyles but it’s important to quickly look things over before clicking send. The best way to make sure your emails are grammatically correct is to use Grammarly. It’s completely free and you can use it on your desktop computer or even on your smartphone. Check it out and let me know what you think!

]]>https://realestatemachine.com/blog/good-grammar-is-key/feed/0How to Create a Facebook Business Page in Less than 2 Minuteshttps://realestatemachine.com/blog/how-to-create-a-facebook-business-page-in-less-than-2-minutes/
https://realestatemachine.com/blog/how-to-create-a-facebook-business-page-in-less-than-2-minutes/#respondSat, 08 Jul 2017 16:36:06 +0000http://realestatemachine.com/?p=562How to Create a Facebook Business Page in Less than 2 Minutes Read More »]]>Facebook has about 2 billion monthly users. For years Facebook has provided a gold mine of opportunity for real estate agents to generate leads and referrals. Creating a Facebook page is an easy and effective tool for all real estate agents to use.

Facebook pages and profiles are two separate things. Facebook pages are for business use, and while it may be tempting to use your Facebook profile to promote your business because you already have friends who like it, real estate agents have had their entire Facebook accounts deleted because of promoting their listings. Using a Facebook page for real estate also has advantages because there are features like advertising and letting customers review your business

Step 1

Log into your personal Facebook account. Click the downward facing arrow at the top right of the screen, and click Create Page.

Step 2

Here there will be 6 options to choose from. Click on Brand or Product. For now, choose Product/Service, but later on, we will change this to specify real estate.Then, choose the name of your page. This can be your real name, slogan, or a community-based name. When you’re all done, click Get Started.

Other steps

That’s it! Easy, right? Congratulations on entering the world of Facebook business. Now that your page has been created, there are basic things that you should add to your page like a profile picture, username, and cover photo.

One great feature is adding buttons to your page, which can link to your website or other business platforms. Another recommended step is to go into the About section and add some basic info. First, change the Category to “Real Estate Agent“. After that, click Edit Page Info. Potential clients can see this information and learn more about your services. Whenever you want to access your page, just click that little arrow on the top right, and then click on your page.